China's Foreign Ministry says a delegation from Taiwan should not be allowed to attend the Trump inauguration.reuters.com(See also Taiwan)

2017.01.22

Trump inherits law originally aimed at Russia that allows him to sanction any official involved in violations. Will he use it against China?theguardian.com(See also Human Rights)

2017.02.03

Trump administration imposes new sanctions on a dozen companies and 13 individuals, including Iranian and Chinese nationals, targeted in response to a January missile test and support for Houthi rebels.theguardian.com(See also First 100 Days, Iran)

2017.02.09

Trump reaches out to China’s president in a letter wishing China a “prosperous Year of the Rooster” 11 days after China celebrated its Lunar New Year’s festival.washingtonpost.com(See also First 100 Days)

He has yet to speak to President Xi Jinping since his inauguration, even though he has met or spoken directly with at least 18 other world leaders.

US calls for it to press Pyongyang to ditch nuclear programme are pointless unless Washington looks at own role, Beijing says

2017.02.15

Trump as POTUS reverses course on One China and suddenly, after more than 10 years of delays, China grants Trump trademarks in their country.twitter.com(See also Conflicts of Interest)

2017.02.23

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says he wants to use a regular review of foreign-exchange markets to determine if China is manipulating currency, contradicting an October pledge by Trump to direct his Treasury Secretary to name China a manipulator on the first day of his administration.bloomberg.com(See also Steven Mnuchin, First 100 Days)

SHANGHAI (AP) — China has granted preliminary approval for 38 new Trump trademarks, a move that offers a potential business foothold for President Donald Trump's family company and protects his name in a country notorious…

2017.03.09

Nikki Haley rebuffed a proposal from China that the U.S. “apply the brakes” to an escalating standoff with North Korea, saying “positive action” was required before it would engage with the “irresponsible” Kim Jong Un.washingtonpost.com(See also North Korea, Nikki Haley)

China’s premier tells the United States: We don’t want a trade war with you, but if one breaks out, your companies would bear the brunt.washingtonpost.com(See also First 100 Days, Trade)

2017.03.22

Eleven countries sign a joint letter criticizing China for torturing lawyers. The U.S. does not. Unclear if U.S. failure to sign the letter is a sign of disorganization, the lack of a clear China policy, or a wavering over human rights.washingtonpost.com(See also Foreign Policy)

Jared Kushner's status as a top aide to President Donald Trump was used to lure Chinese investors to his family's New Jersey development, even after his family's company apologized for mentioning his name during a sales pitch in May.cnn.com(See also Jared Kushner, Conflicts of Interest)

2017.09.11

A major construction company owned by the Chinese government was hired to work on the latest Trump golf club development in Dubai despite a pledge from Donald Trump that his family business would not engage in any transactions with foreign government entities while he serves as president.mcclatchydc.com(See also Conflicts of Interest, Corruption)

2017.11.10

Donald Trump’s sweeping plan to restore American primacy by replacing “unfair” multilateral trade agreements with a series of bilateral deals is meeting a grim reality: foreign trading partners aren’t taking the bait.buzzfeed.com(See also Foreign Policy)

U.S. counterintelligence officials in early 2017 warned Jared Kushner that Wendi Deng Murdoch, a prominent Chinese-American businesswoman, could be using her close friendship with Mr. Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, to further the interests of the Chinese government.wsj.com(See also Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner)

2018.02.27

Officials in at least four countries have privately discussed ways they can manipulate Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, by taking advantage of his complex business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports on the matter.washingtonpost.com(See also Jared Kushner, Nepotism, Corruption, Foreign Policy, Israel, Mexico)

Among those nations discussing ways to influence Kushner to their advantage were the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Mexico, the current and former officials said.

2018.03.19

Donald Trump is preparing to impose a package of $60 billion in annual tariffs against Chinese products, following through on a longtime threat that he says will punish China for intellectual property theft and create more U.S. jobs.washingtonpost.com(See also Trade)

2018.04.01

China is moving forward with its plan to counter Donald Trump's new tariffs on steel and aluminum, levying duties on more than $3 billion in US exports - imposing a 15% tariff increase on goods including American fruit and nuts and add a 25% tariff on pork, recycled aluminum and other goods, totaling 128 products.politico.com(See also Foreign Policy, Economy)

2018.04.04

After Donald Trump moved to impose tariffs on exports to China, he reversed course once China retaliated, saying that it was only a threat, with the White House saying that the tariffs might never happen.nytimes.com(See also Economy, Reversals)

The Trump administration has suspended its plan to impose sweeping tariffs on China as it presses forward with trade talks, a gesture that will temporarily ease tensions between the two nations but rapidly increase pressure on Donald Trump to secure the type of tough deal that he has long said is necessary to protect American workers.nytimes.com(See also Economy, Trade, Steven Mnuchin, Department of the Treasury)

A major construction company owned by the Chinese government was awarded another contract this week to work on the Trump golf club development in Dubai, further raising questions about potential conflicts of interest between Donald Trump's presidency and his vast real estate empire.mcclatchydc.com(See also Conflicts of Interest, Trump Business)

2018.06.15

Despite Donald Trump's warning not to retaliate to the administration's new tariffs on Chinese goods, China's Commerce Ministry announced that the country will be implementing their own tariffs "of the same scale and the same strength" on U.S. imports in response to announcement.axios.com(See also Trade)

This is increasingly looking like a trade war

2018.06.18

The Senate voted to reinstate tough penalties on ZTE, a Chinese telecom company accused of violating American sanctions, in a sharp rebuke of the Trump administration’s handling of the matter that almost ensures a rare showdown between Republican lawmakers and the White House.nytimes.com(See also Department of Commerce, Reversals, Conflicts of Interest)

2018.07.05

A trade war between the world’s two largest economies officially began as the Trump administration followed through with its threat to impose tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese products, a significant escalation of a fight that could hurt companies and consumers in both the United States and China.nytimes.com(See also Trade)

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration escalated its trade dispute with China on Tuesday, saying it would impose tariffs on roughly $200 billion worth of Chinese fish, petroleum, chemicals, handbags, textiles and other products if Beijing does not change its trade practices. The threat comes just days after President Trump imposed levies on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods, including robotics, airplane parts and ball bearings. Mr. Trump has said he is prepared to tax as much as $450 billion worth of Chinese products. On Tuesday, his administration detailed the next list of products...nytimes.com(See also Trade)

2018.07.11

The U.S. Senate made a minor effort to push back against Donald Trump’s trade policies by backing a non-binding motion to give Congress a role in his decisions to impose tariffs for national security reasons.reuters.com(See also Trade, Foreign Policy)

2018.09.17

Donald Trump escalated his trade war with Beijing saying the United States would impose tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods and was prepared to tax all imports.nytimes.com(See also Economy, Trade)

The president said the tariffs, which will hit everyday consumer products, will go into effect on Sept. 24.

2018.09.26

Donald Trump accused a foreign power of meddling in an American election: not Russia, but China, as he claimed without any evidence that the Chinese are trying to damage his political standing before the midterm elections because of his imposition of tariffs on billions of dollars in Chinese goods.nytimes.com(See also False Statements, Cybersecurity, Belief in Conspiracy Theories)

2018.09.26

Steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have cost Ford Motor Co about $1 billion in profits, its chief executive officer said, while Honda Motor Co. said higher steel prices have brought “hundreds of millions of dollars” in new costs.reuters.com(See also Economy, Trade)

2018.10.19

The Trump administration is preparing to tell Russian leaders next week that it is planning to exit the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, in part to enable the United States to counter a Chinese arms buildup in the Pacific.nytimes.com(See also Nuclear Weapons, Russia)

2018.10.24

When Dopnald Trump calls old friends on one of his iPhones to gossip, gripe or solicit their latest take on how he is doing, American intelligence reports indicate that Chinese spies are often listening — and putting to use invaluable insights into how to best work the president and affect administration policy.nytimes.com(See also Cybersecurity, Unprecedented Actions, Hypocrisy)

2018.11.05

American businesses are paying much more in tariffs than they did last year, due mainly to Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies, according to an analysis by industry groups.cnbc.com(See also Trade)

U.S. businesses shelled out $4.4 billion in tariffs in September, a surge of more than 50 percent from the same month a year ago.

The pattern has become a source of mounting concern to senior U.S. intelligence officials who had hoped that Trump, as he settled into office, would become less hostile to their work and more receptive to the information that spy agencies spend billions of dollars and sometimes put lives at risk gathering, yet presidential distrust extends beyond Russia to assessments on North Korea, Iran, climate change and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.